Spring-beard knitting needle



NOV.

Inven iii vs.- Jo Fain/Laws on, v Eveweiikfl.

Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

JOHN LAWSON, 0F PAWTUCKE'I', RHODE ISLAND, AND EVERETT A. QUINT, OF 'NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO HEMPHILL COMPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRING-BEARD KNITTING NEEDLE.

Original app lication filed July 24, 1923, Serial No. Divided and this application filed T0 (1U whom 2'2 may concern Be it known that we, JorrN Lawson an EVERETT A. QUiN'r, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Pawtucket, county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, and of New Brunswick, county of Middlesex, and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Spring-Beard Knitting Needles. of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings repre senting like parts.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 653,457, filed July 24, 1923 Patent No. 1,500,627 of July 8, 1924..

This invention relates to spring beard knitting needles and to a knitting organization including such needles.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, we will describe the preferred embodiment of the needle and its manner of use, and will sufficiently describe the method of making the needle to give a complete statement of the construction of the needle and its advantages.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, twice enlarged, of a. steel wire which has been swaged or reduced until the intermediate part thereof has been reduced to a smaller diameter and one end has been reduced to a still smaller diameter;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1. but representing the upper or smaller end of the blank as milled or otherwise beveled or reduced to a still smaller diameter preparatory to forming a spring beard-thereat;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but representing the beard as completed;

Fig. 4 is a view of the retained lower part only of the needle blank and representing the same as bent to provide material for the butt that is to operate in the cam groove of the cam ring;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, three times enlarged, of the needle blank after it has been flattened, but before the lower end and butt have been trimmed;

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 but representing the needle as completed, excepting for a lateral bending which may be resortet 653,457. Patent No. 1,500,627, dated July 8, 1924. April 8, 1924. Serial N0..705,137.

Spring beard needles are old and well known in the art; in fact the needles of the first knitting machine were spring beard needles. For more than one hundred years all knittingmachine needles were of the spring beard type, as it was not until toward the middle of the nineteenth century that the latch needle was invented by Matthew Townsend. Spring beard needles both of the independent type and of the fixed type, are also well known, and at the present day there is an increasing demand for spring beard needles of fine gauge and of the independent type. At the present time, such fine gauge, spring beard needles of the independent type are bent at their lower ends or at some intermediate part, so as (letachably to engage a jack which itself is provided with a butt to be received in and operated by the walls of the cam groove of the cam ring. Such a jack is preferably laterally bent so as to give it sufficient friction 'to retain its position in the needle groove and the butt thereof is of relatively great height so as properly to operate in theisaid cam groove of the cam ring. Attempts have even been made to shape by bending the lower or some intermediate part of the stem of the spring beard needle of the independent type into a butt of U form, which butt was to be received in the cam groove of'tlie cam ring. Such a needle, so far as we are aware, has never been commercially acceptable or satis factory, and in all such cases of which we are aware, the stock of the butt was of the same diameter as the stem of the needle. orv

at least of themain lower part of the stem of the needle.

So far as we are aware, no one has ever produced or atten'lptcd to make a spring Ion lllf) indicated by the dotted line X in Fig. 3,

. stantially tlLe in the course of the operation is left of sufiicient diameter to provide for the relatively large butt characteristic of the needle of our invention.

The needle of our invention overcomes the objections to the spring beard needles of the prevailing type now upon the market in that.

we avoid the necessity of forming a separate jack for each needle and bending the needle to conform to the shape of and to engage a suitable notch or recess of the jack. Inasmuch also as the needleof ourinvention is of one integral'piece, there is no possibility of slippage or relative displacement,

such as may occur between the usualspring beard needle and its jack. I

life are aware that latch needles have long been rovided with integral butts to be receivet in and operated by the cam groove of the cam ring. A latch needle is, however, radically different in many and well known ways from a spring beard needle. The parts which cooperate with the spring beard needle and the latch needle in the formation of the stitch are wholly difierent, and the processes or steps to which the needles of these two types must be subjected during formation are wholly andradically different;

In the drawings, we haverepresented the several steps or stages in the manufacture of the spring beard needle of our invention according to the best mode now known to us for making the same. Certain of the steps'may be modified or changed without departing from the principles of our invention as an entirety, and certain of these changes will he hereinafter referred to.

For the needle of our invention we employ what is known as steel needle wire, such wire being of cast steel and annealed. It islmown upon the market as spring beard needle wire and is purchased in C01lS of un form dianie- 1 ter or size. The coils areannealed, and all the steps of the process hereinafter described are carried out with the wire in its annealed condition. Afterthe needle is completed, it is then tempered in oil. Such wire is cut into a suitable length, depending upon the desired length of the needle, and then it is swaged or otherwise suitably reduced in diameter desirably at two spaced points indicated at 1, 2 in Figs. 1,2 and 3. This provides three portions A, B, C. A part of the portion 0 is afterward to be out othas according to the disclosed embodiment of the invention to which we are not necessarily limited, hut during the early stages of manufacture the portion (3 is of the relative length aracteristic feature thereof, is

indicated, so as to provide herein a handle forconvenience of manipulation.

The end'of the portion A is still further to a proper diameter in such dimension preparatory, to the rounding up or grinding and tapering operation preliminary to the formation of the beard indicated at 3 in the several figures.

After the said milling operation, the

blanks are treated individually by subjecting the milled portion thereof to a grinding operation for the purpose of rounding up" that portion of the blank, and at the same time tapering the same gradually to apoint,

yet subjected to the'bending operation.

initially to form the butt or to the buttflattening operation, because the blank could not then be held in the hand and turned constantly with the necessary delicacy of touch which is requisite to forming the heard of the proper taper. It will be understood that the formation of the heard of the proper taper is of extreme in portance, as if this step of the operation be improperly carried out, the needle will not be of the proper gauge and must be rejected. It will be understood that the rounding up or grinding with tapering does not remove the flat cifectiresulting from the milling, but does remove the edges or corners thereof. ()n the contrary, the upper or milled end of the blank is. that, but also of a generally tapering formation and parlicularly at ortoward the point 5.

At some suitable step in the operation, the groove or so-callcd nucate 4 is formed into which the point 5 of the needle heard 3 is pressed during or preparatory to the casting off of the stitch. Desirably this groove or eye, as it is sometimes called, is cut or formed in the blank after the milling opera-' tion, and before the grindin or rounding up 1-.

lull

upon Figs. 1, 2 and 3 that the wireor material of the blank is round excepting at the milled P0143011. 'Aftcr the needle has been brought to the form shown in Fig. the

handle part of the portion C is cut ofh in accordance with'the disclosed embodiment of the invention, as at the dotted line X in Fig. 3, so as to provide merely sufficient length for the butt, which in its preliminary shape is represented at 6 in Fig. 4. The cutting off of a handle part of the portion C and the bending of the retained lower part to form the butt 6 may precede or follow the formation of the needle beard 3, but desirably it follows the same.

The needle blank, which is still of circular shape in cross section throughout its entire extent, excepting the beard portion, is

now placed in a suitable press and flattened by a squeezing action, excepting for the portion of the beard above the groove, which portion is itself not subjected to such flattenmg operation. Such flatteningshould not result in any irregularity at the base of the tapered portion, as these two portions should merge smoothly into each other.

The blank so flattened has now the form shown in Fig. which is three times the actual size. der 2 is retainedand that the portion B, even in its flattened condition, is relatively very slender. so that it may be bent or damaged nnless handled with great care. It is, however, important that the stem of a spring beard needle be slender, and particularly that the part upon which the old loop is received below the beard be of the smallest possible diameter, so as not, to subject the loop to distention.

Because of the fact that a part of the stock was left of the original diameter, it results that we have provided suflicient material for the butt which in its flattened but unfinished condition is represented at 7 in Fig. 5. It will be observed that just above the butt the lower part of the stem is enlarged both at front and rear, as indicated'at 8, 9. Moreover the butt 7 is itself,

not of proper size, and therefore following the flattening or pressing operation, it is necessary to trim or otherwise reduce the butt 7 to exactly the right size to fit without lost. motion in the cam groove of the cam ring. Furthermore the pressed and subsequently trimmed butt and lower portion of the needle stem give a much more accurate formation than can be provided by the merely bent end of a needle shank, not formed by pressing a relatizely large diameter'stock to flattened form.

In Fig. 9, we have indicated at 10 the cam groove of the needle cylinder, and therein represent in certain positions at 11' the needle butt in its trimmed, completed condition. It will be observed that the said butt 11 fits in said groove with a close running fit and without lost motion. This is of great and in fact of vital importance'in the formation of perfect fabric. Each needle in turn is moved longitudinally in its groove in the needle cylinder by the cam groove of the cam ring, the lower wall 12 It will be observed that the shoulof the cam groove acting to elevate the needle to receive the yarn and the upper wall 13 of the said groove acting to depress the needle to cast off the old stitch. If the butt ofthe needle does not work with a close running fit in the cam groove, there would be lost motion both in the elevation and in the lowering of the needle, and this would result in inequalities and inaccuracies in the work. We have thus provided a new knitting organization including spring beard needles whose inte al butts work with a close running fit in t e cam groove.

We have stated that the lower ends or portions of spring beard needles have been bent upon themselves so as to enter a notch or groove of a jack which itself is provided with a butt to enter the cam groove of the cam ring. Such bent portion ofthe needle could not itself be used to enter the cam groove for needle manipulation because it is not of suflicient vertical extent to be operated without lost motion in such groove. Moreover such a bent portion would not prevent lateral turning or twisting of the needle with consequent defect in the formation of the loop, and furthermore such thin bent portion being of no greater diameter than the shank or stem of the needle would itself rapidly wearin two or so nearly in two as to be useless.

Obviously our improved construction, providing, as it does, an integral formation of butt and shank, has manifest advantages over a construction wherein a needle stem of the same or substantially the same diameter throughout its power part, is bent at its lower end (which is of small diameter and hence very springy), and is there received in a notch in a relatively rigid member--the jack-from which it may be easilv accidentally separated, and from which it has a tendency to spring away, owing to the spring band embracing the entire series of' needles.

When the needle has reached the stage represented in Fig. 5, we employ'suitable means, preferably a punch and die (not. herein shown) to trim the butt 7 and the lower part 8, 9 at the shank or stem to exactly the right proportions, as represented at 11, 14 in Fig. 6.

The punch and die, or other means employed for the purpose, cut off from the portion 9 at the back of the lower part of the stem a piece which isindicated at 15 in Fig. 8, and from the butt portion 7, there is cut off a characteristic U-shaped piece indicated at 16 in Fig. 8, thus leaving the needle in its completed shape shown in Fig. 6, and lacking only the very slight bending of the needle stem or shank, which may be provided in customary manner not herein necessary to illustrate. This step is desirably, but not necessarily, resorted to Ill) 'for the purpose of insuring the full amount of desired friction in the needle groove. It

will be observed that the flattened butt 11 is of materially greater cross section than the corresponding cross section of the greatin sets and employing a suitable milling tool to mill the necessary edges, such a process would leave a burr to be ienioved later.

lVe may in certain cases, instead of drawing the needle blank to provide three diameters, provide the necessary shape by a stamping operation, for the purpose of not drawing out the material as much as according to the first method disclosed. In suchcase, the beard of the needle, not being so finely drawn, but being ground, is or may be tougher and stronger.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of the needle of our invention, we desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in e a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the in vention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims: 1. A spring beard needle of the independent type integral throughout and hav- 'ing a flattened butt of materially greater 2. A spring beard needle of the independent type integral throughout and having one extremity milled and tapered and bent to form a spring beard and at its other end having a flattened butt of materially greater cross section than the corresponding cross section of the greater portion of the needle stem, said butt having its greater dimension in the plane of the needle stem and adapted to be received directly in the cam groove of the cam ring with a close running fit.

3. A knitting organization including a cam carrier provided with a cam groove for the reception of needle butts, and a series of spring beard needles of the independent type, said needles being severally integral throughout, and each having a flattened butt of materially greater cross section than the corresponding cross section of the greater,

the extreme lower portion of still larger diameter, said needle having a flattened butt of materially greater cross section than the corresponding cross section of the needle stem excepting said extreme lower portion,

said butt having its greater dimension in the plane of the needle stem, whereby said butt in its gregter cross section is. adapted to be received directly in the cam groove of the cam ring with a close running fit.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

JOHN Lawson. EVERETT A. oinnr. 

